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Thousands Gather to Mourn Six Dead in Shooting at Temple

Mourners embrace at the memorial service for the victims of the shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.Credit
Nathan Weber for The New York Times

OAK CREEK, Wis. — One by one, six coffins were rolled into a high school gymnasium here Friday and were surrounded by Sikh men and women singing traditional Punjabi hymns. As they sang, thousands of people from around the world streamed into the gym to mourn the six worshipers who were shot and killed on Sunday at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin here.

The deaths have rocked the town and reverberated throughout the global Sikh community, leading neighbors to skip work and visitors from as far as India to converge at Oak Creek High School for a group memorial service and wake.

“These bullets have hit their hearts,” said Rajwant Singh, chairman of Sikh Council on Religion and Education, who traveled from Washington. “It has become a big family gathering. It is really a shaking moment hitting the core of the community.”

During the visitation, families of the victims stood next to the bodies of their loved ones. Wooden coffins, draped with white cloth, were lined up under the basketball nets. Behind each coffin was a portrait of the victim and flowers.

People of a range of races and faiths wore colored head scarves out of respect for the Sikh religion. Some were red-eyed from crying. Others clutched rosary beads. It was the most recent example of the outpouring of support from a community that has held vigils, sent comforting e-mails, and helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the victims’ families over the past week.

“I don’t see how we can forget this,” said Barbara Henschel, 41, of who lives in nearby Milwaukee and took time off work to attend the service. “There’s a lot of healing that will have to begin.”

Representatives of the victims’ families, Sikh religious leaders and government officials spoke during the memorial service, among them Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.

“No matter what country your ancestors came from, no matter where you worship, no matter what your background, as Americans, we are one,” said Mr. Walker. “When you attack one of us, you attack all of us.”

As he left the gym, Steve Ellis, 35, recalled seeing squad cars zoom past his Oak Creek church last Sunday, sirens blaring. He did not realize they were responding to calls that someone had opened fire in a Sikh temple not far away.

Federal officials still do not know why Wade M. Page, a newcomer to the area with ties to white supremacy groups, took six lives and wounded three people, including a police officer, before shooting himself.

“Last Sunday morning, this community witnessed the very worst of humankind,” Mr. Holder said, noting that it was not the first time that Sikhs had seen violence directed at them.

“In the recent past, too many Sikhs have been targeted, victimized simply because of who they are, how they look and what they believe,” Mr. Holder said. He said that law enforcement officials would implement the solutions “that we need to prevent future tragedies.”

After the high school gathering, some of the mourners went to the temple where the shootings occurred for further services. Priests and members of the temple planned to read for 48 hours from the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, cover to cover, taking turns through the night. Funeral services for the victims were private.

Linda Hetzeo, 46, said she lives a mile and a half from the temple, but knew little about the Sikhs. When she heard about the shootings, she and some neighbors prayed together in a living room, the television coverage muted in the background.

“As a Christian, I just need to be a part of this,” she said, adding that she had since learned more about Sikhism. “I guess that could be a reward for this tragedy that has happened.”

A version of this article appears in print on August 11, 2012, on Page A8 of the New York edition with the headline: Thousands Gather to Mourn Six Shot Dead at Sikh Temple. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe